main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

The build-a-character challenge

Discussion in 'Archive: Games: RPG & Miniatures' started by Shadowen, Jan 21, 2005.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    The challenge is this: build a set of statistics for the following (very) brief character description...

    ' ?Let me check my notes.? Anyone who knows ?Krif?, as his friends call him, knows enough to groan and hang their heads?or perhaps scream and run for cover?when they hear those words.

    It?s not enough for Krif to design powerful weapons?he has to test them out, personally, in uncontrolled conditions (such as the middle of a life-or-death firefight). Despite the tendency of his guns (referred to by one of his colleagues as ?lo, an horrific and unholy union twixt the weapon of a great starship and that of an infantry unit, come as a scourge upon the heads of all sane men and aliens?) to be finicky, misfiring messes, they have more than once been responsible for getting him and his friends out of trouble.

    And on the all-too-frequent occasions when his overpowered guns don?t work properly (or fail to work entirely), that is when his dreaded battle cry sounds.

    ?Let me check my notes.? '

    The rules are as follows: you have up to ten levels, no ability scores above 19 or below 7 (post-racial modifiers), any humanoid species, any legal combination of classes and prestige classes.

    The winner, judged solely by me, gets a cookie. Bonus points for anyone who gets the reference.
     
  2. dp4m

    dp4m Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2001
    Nice. I'll need to unpack my books. ;)
     
  3. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    Oh, and I figure that if people end up really enjoying this thread and want to it more than a limited shelf life, it could become an ongoing challenge. Whoever wins this one could issue his own challenge, stipulations, etc., and pick the winner, who would then make his challenge, etc.
     
  4. Rogue_Thunder

    Rogue_Thunder FanForce CR, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 7, 2003
    I might take up this challenge. Is there any sort of deadline?
     
  5. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    Let's say a week from the initial post.
     
  6. DarthNoctambulus

    DarthNoctambulus Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 24, 2003
    Heh. If I have the needed time, I might take part.
     
  7. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    So that's one apparent yes, two maybes based on time.
     
  8. NJOfan215

    NJOfan215 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 17, 2003
    this looks cool, maybe i'll participate, if i can find some characters.
     
  9. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    Hmm...judging by respones so far, I think I'll make it two weeks from the first post instead.

    Also, I don't think I have to, but just to be certain, I'm going to remind everyone that "best" does not necessarily mean "most powerful".
     
  10. Koohii

    Koohii Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 30, 2003
    Nice spin on Sluggy!

    I have a host of amusing, not exactly combat-munchkin characters.

    The Oortolan (blue elephantine alien) chef. Has heavy melee/knife skills, etiquette, and cooking. His fighting style is very unusual, so knife fighters won't recognize it. It also does a lot of damage because he bounces that knife up and down so fast. And if he's ever disarmed, he had over 100 more on his person, all legitimate and legal. "Well, officer, these sentients lept out of the alley and attacked us. I knocked the blaster aside with my rolling pin and jabbed my boning knife into his diapram. It got stuck there (I thought it was his bladder--I really need to learn more about human anatomy). Instead of running away like a sensible person, his associate tried to stab me (see the nasty gash in my arm--any creature that eats me is going to have to gnaw on that scar tissue). I returned the compliment and diced his fingers. I'm affraid that fingerprinting system won't be able to identify him..." All Oortolans have +2d on their survival rolls to find food, whether that be to find something edible in a poisonous jungle, or locate a 5-star restraunt in a busy starport.

    The non-Force sensitive Quixotic Jedi. He just thinks he's in tune. Actually, he just has a (relatively) harmless delusion. His version of what the jedi are has been corrupted by the holovid dramas and action movies into a strange, chivalric, 3-musketeersesque mess. Armed with a wooden sword (club really, Just until he can find the parts to make a real lightsaber), he journey's forth to right wrongs, for honor, for glory, for Dulcinea! And he can sing too.

    Kubaz Bug-Taster. Modified from the scout. This gormet's duty is to scour the galaxy in search of new delacasies for his speicies. He has skills in beast(bug) riding, butterfly net, and a variety of other odd skills.

    Demolisher. A droid slicer with a sense of humor took the brain from a warbot and installed it into a MSE-6 "Mouse" droid. He also built in a small blaster (std pistol). The warbot is furious with his limited abilities, turned in the slicer for creating illegal assissin droids, and got a bounty-hunter lisence.

    "Time to die, nerd-boy" This rabbit spiecies is native to one of the moons of Yavin (sorry, don't have my alien races books handy). This particular one is a psychotic aberation. Armed with a vibroshiv and a hold-out blaster, he seeks out advertisers of all types to gut and fillet. He is also at war with a dark-sider who resembles a childhood hero icon. He is masterful with a variety of piloting systems and causing mass chaos. Don't accuse him of being cute.

    The Droid-Master. In addition to being a physical adonis, he has a preternatural ability with droids. This has been accentuated by the addition of the cyberwear droid interface. Accompanied by a camera scout bot, a large viscious security bot, and two mse-6 bots, he travels the galaxy in search of ---oh come on, you get the rest

    Salaiciea. A large griffin-like creature, Sals (to her friends) is the ultimate fashion chatterbut. Being 4 meters tall has it's disadvantages, though. Ever find a swimming suit for a 4-meter tall avian? She currently works as a courier, spending way too much time talking to the customers and driving information kiosks nuts. Chatty and talkative, as well as flighty and occasionally vacuous. She is a talented mimic (even for her species) and speaks several hundred languages.
     
  11. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    *gives bonus points*

    I'd make up stats for some of yours, but I'd prefer to wait and see if people are going to do anything with mine.
     
  12. FlareStorm

    FlareStorm Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2000
    I'll do the challenge. Post em here, right? Or do you want it PMed?
     
  13. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    Post 'em here.
     
  14. Magellan_the_Cat

    Magellan_the_Cat Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 21, 2003
    Krif--Inventor

    Dex: 3D
    blaster 5d
    dodge 7d+2
    slugthrowers 5D
    running 5d

    Kno: 3D+2
    science-electronics 5d
    science-partical physics 7d
    science-trans-dimensional theory 7d+1
    science-mysticism 5d
    robotics 7d

    Mec: 2D+1
    driving 3d
    robot piloting: 2d+2

    Per: 2D+2
    sneak 3d+2

    Str: 2D+1

    Tec: 4D
    droid program/repair 6d
    computer program/repair 7d
    blaster build/repair 5d
    slugthrower build/repair 4d
    armor build/repair 4d
    engineering 7d
    inventing 8d
    cybernetic build/repair 5d

    How's that? ok d6 stats instead of d20, and I don't have conversions, but hey, First entry.

    ----------------

    Now, on the topic of strange character concepts:
    "I could have been Red 5"
    "It was early days in the rebellion. Like everyone else at the imperial academy, I'd been a hotshot pilot at home, but I was also a hotshot at the academy. I aced my classes, went up against some of the top pilots in the simulators. I was one of the best they had. But unlike most, I wasn't a jerk about it. I'd hang arround with the "less popular", help out underclassmen with studies, and whatnot. Naturally, as soon as I saw what the empire and the new order was about, I jumped ship and joined the rebellion. I'd been working on Yavin 4 for months, training the kids that volunteered for piloting, and the old guys who'd only been on transports and freightors. I was out for an exercise run after shooting down both Darklighter and Jenkens in the simulator when I heard a ship come it. Well, I knew the schedule like everyone else, and nothing was due, so I looked up. Big mistake. I missed the root that was in the path, tripped, and dislocated my ankle as the old YT1300 flew overhead. I crawled back to base & got to the medics, but there was no use--I wasn't going to be able to fly for at least a week. And here it was, a combat mission that would have been the cream of the crop to fly. I had to sit it out. They loaded me on a transport ready to fly out. Some punk hotshot kid Skyflunker was using my ship and my callsign. He hadn't even been to the academy, and he gets all the glory. I'm telling you, there ain't no justice."
     
  15. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    Nicely done, Magell--oh, who am I kidding. Aside from knowing "more dice is better" and "all d6", I have no frickin' clue how to read d6 stuff.

    Can I assume, though, that 7 or 8 is an extraordinarily high dice count?

    Still, you do get some kudos for being the first entry.

    Also, for anyone who wants to post character concepts, if this becomes a sort of run-on thread, you don't have to have funny concepts...just interesting ones.
     
  16. FlareStorm

    FlareStorm Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2000
    Can I assume, though, that 7 or 8 is an extraordinarily high dice count?

    Nah, he'd be an expert in such things and somewhat experienced. From what I remember, a starting character can have a max of 6d in a skill.

    Good stuff Magellan..."Skyflunker" = :D
     
  17. Magellan_the_Cat

    Magellan_the_Cat Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 21, 2003
    Not exactly.

    1d--inept
    2d--average person on the street with no training
    3d--slightly better than average
    4d--skilled individual--can make a modest living
    5d--highly skilled individual--can make a good living
    6d--best on the continent--moderately famous
    7d--best in the planet--olympic famous
    8d--best in the star system--people from other systems may have heard of this person
    9d--one of the best in the galaxy. A grand master.

    Yoda, Vader, and the Emperor have 11 to 12d in their Force powers.

    Bear in mind that most people in the galaxy (99.9999%) have only 2d in all stats, 4d in one skill, and 3d in 2 others.
    The PCs are exceptional in that they have 18d in stats, and 7d added to individual skills when they start (at 1st level, if you will). Raising a skill from 3d to 4d is easy. Raising a skill from 6d to 7d is much harder. I've never had a player or character raise a stat to 8d.
     
  18. rowsdower44

    rowsdower44 Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Jan 29, 2005
    Here's a D20 version i made up.

    Krif: Male Togorian Tech Specialist 5/Soldier 3/Elite Trooper 2; Init +2 (Dex); Defense 19 ( +8 Class, +2 Dex, -1 Size); DR 5; Spd 8 Meters; VP/WP 74/14; Atk +13/+8 Melee (3D8+6, Togorian Vibro-Scimitar Two-Handed), or +11/+6 Melee (2d4+4, Vibrodagger), or +10/+5 Ranged (3D8+1, +1 Mastercrafted Blaster Rifle), or +9/+4 Ranged (3d8+1, +1 Mastercrafted Blaster Carbine); SQ Low Light Vision, Physical Intimidation, Research; SV Fort +9, Refl +7, Will +4; SZ L; FP 5; DSP 3; Rep +3; Str 18 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 8 Cha 8.

    Skills: Astrogate +6, Craft (Blaster Rifles) +13, Craft (Grenades) +8, Computer Use +12, Disable Divice +6, Forgery +6, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Streetwise) +9, Pilot +10, Repair +6, Search +6, Treat Injury +4.

    Feats: Armor Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Dodge, Heroic Surge, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Weapon Focus (Blaster Rifle), Weapon Group Proficiency (Simple, Primitive, Heavy, Vibro, Blaster Pistols, Blaster Rifles).
     
  19. FlareStorm

    FlareStorm Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2000
    Notes: From the description presented, I envisioned a techie guy who wasn?t so good at the hands-on mechanical side of things. From there, I developed a back story as to why he went out on his adventuring career.

    I used the format presented in Ultimate Adversaries where possible. I tend to list all skills, regardless of rank (skills unable to be used untrained have a value of N/A). I like it better that way in my own games.

    At 4th level, Krif added +1 to CHA to reflect the fact that he gained more experience in the corporate world.

    Sorry for the length, kinda got into it :)

    Krif L?Gril
    Adaptive Designs, Inc. (AD) has been run and maintained by the L?Gril family for generations. The company specializes in designing and maintaining custom equipment for every conceivable legal purpose, such as mining equipment, specialized translator droids, and exotic environment habitats.

    Krif and his sister, Naru, were born and educated on Clak?Dor VII. As soon as they came of age they joined the family business with AD. Krif specialized in creating designs for equipment and Naru did the actual construction. The two made an amazing team and profits soared.

    Until, one fateful day, Naru took an assignment to repair a customized hyperdrive that AD built on the ship Lame Moon. Weeks passed without her return. Weeks later, the HoloNet reported that the Lame Moon was reporting engaging in acts of piracy. AD had unknowingly given powerful technology to criminals.

    Krif immediately left Clak?Dor to set out and find out what happened to his sister.

    Goals
    Krif?s ultimate goal is to find out what happened to his sister, and rescue her if possible. In the meantime, he wants to develop his design skills so he can take over the family business when he returns.

    Tactics
    Krif is inexperienced and a stranger to combat. Although not a coward, he feels like he has little to contribute. To make up for this, he tries to build and customize things like sonic grenades and self-propelled vibro daggers. He fully expects these inventions to turn the tide of a battle, and when they don?t, he will literaly sit down and check his notes to look for the problem.

    Affiliations
    The rest of Krif?s family owns and runs Adaptive Designs, which is headquarted in a small space station above Clak?Dor VII.

    Roleplaying Tips
    Most problems can be solved by technology and imagination. If something doesn?t work, it can be fixed. Concentrate only on what you are doing.

    Era Notes
    Krif works as written during any era.

    Krif L?Gril: Male Bith Expert 3/Tech Specialist 1; Init: +1 (+1 Dex); Defense +5,(+4 Dex, +1 class bonus); Spd 10 m; VP/WP 6/11; Atk +1 melee (1d3, punch); +5 (generic ranged); SQ: Species Traits (Micro-vision, Meditative trance); SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; SZ M; FP 1. DSP 0; Rep +0; Str 9, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 14, Challenge Code: B.
    Equipment: Credit chip with 1500 credits, datapad, datacards (black) (5), tool kit, 300 credits cash
    Skills: Appraise +4, Astrogate +8. Balance +1, Bluff +2, Climb -1, Computer Use +16, Craft (any unspecified) +3, Craft (computers) +11, Craft (droids) +6, Craft (electronics) +7, Diplomacy +2, Demolitions N/A, Handle Animal N/A, Disable Device +3, Disguise +2, Entertain (any unspecified) +2, Entertain (Kloo Horn) +3, Escape Artist +1, Forgery +3, Gamble +0, Gather Information +2, Hide +1, Intimidate +2, Jump -1, Knowledge (any unspecified) +3, Knowledge (chemistry) +7, Knowledge (physics) +8, Knowledge (engineering) +6, Listen +0, Move Silently +1, Pilot +3, Profession (technician) +5, Read/Write Basic, Read/Write Bith, Repair +7, Ride +1, Search +3, Sense Motive +0, Slight of Hand +0, Speak Basic, Ride +2, Search +4, Sense Motive +0, Repair +5, Ride +1, Search +5, Sense Motive +2, Speak Basic, Speak Bith, Speak Sullustease, Spot +0, Survival +0, Swim -1, Treat Injury +0
    Feats: Gearhead. Skill Emphasis (Computer Use), Starship Operation (space transports, starfighters, capit
     
  20. JoinTheSchwarz

    JoinTheSchwarz Former Head Admin star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2002
    Excellent, Flare. Very classy stats. :cool:
     
  21. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    Good job, both of you, especially you, FlareStorm.

    Two days more before the deadline hits.
     
  22. Shadowen

    Shadowen Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 11, 1999
    And the cookie goes to...

    FlareStorm!

    *gives FlareStorm a cookie*

    Your turn. Give us a concept to design around.
     
  23. FlareStorm

    FlareStorm Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2000
    Thanks Shadowen. My dog already stole my cookie!

    A Star Wars Superhero

    ?Look, up there!?

    ?Is it a hawk-bat??

    ?Is it an airspeeder??

    ?No, it?s Champion!!!!

    The vigilante known as Champion started appearing on the streets of Coruscant about five years ago. When innocents are threatened by back-alley muggings or skyscraper falls, the masked vestige of Champion often miraculously swoops in the save the day.

    Numerous police agencies have tried to contain him, but at the end of a crisis, he disappears into the mazes of buildings. His creed, ?Fear not citizens, your Champion is here!?

    Winner gets an uncooked burrito. I'll put a deadline up at some later time.
     
  24. rowsdower44

    rowsdower44 Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Jan 29, 2005
    Champion: Male Human Thug 1/Scoundrel 3; Init +3; Defense 17 (+4 Class, +3 Dex); Spd 10m; VP/WP 24/12; Atk +6 Ranged (3D6, Blastech DL-18); SQ Illicit Barter, Lucky(1/Day), Precise Attack; SV Fort +4, Refl +6, Will +1; SZ M; FP 3; DSP 1; Rep +4; Str 12 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 11 Cha 12.

    Equipment: Blastech DL-18 Blaster Pistol, Street Clothes, Disguise of some sort, Smoke Grenades, Grappling Hook, Comlink, Maybe a cool hideout.

    Skills: Balance +5, Climb +7, Disguise +5, Escape Artist +9, Hide +11, Jump +5, Knowledge (Streetwise) +4, Knowledge (Underworld) +4, Move Silently +11, Ride +5, Slight of Hand +6, Spot +4, Swim +5.

    Feats: Athletic, Blasterslinger, Fame, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Stealthy, Weapon Group Proficiency (Blaster Pistols, Simple Weapons).
     
  25. JoinTheSchwarz

    JoinTheSchwarz Former Head Admin star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2002
    Don't close the contest yet. I have a nifty concept for Champion. Will try to post it during the weekend.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.